Wednesday

Mar 13, 2019 at 5:20 PM

Three-time Cup champion Tony Stewart and the late Neil Bonnett are among the list of new nominees eligible for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Five inductees from a list of 20 nominees will be chosen for the 2020 induction class on Voting Day, Wednesday, May 22 — the list of new honorees decided on by both the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel and a nationwide fan vote on NASCAR.com.

Stewart may join one of his former rivals and one of this year’s new [...]

Three-time Cup champion Tony Stewart and the late Neil Bonnett are among the list of new nominees eligible for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Five inductees from a list of 20 nominees will be chosen for the 2020 induction class on Voting Day, Wednesday, May 22 — the list of new honorees decided on by both the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel and a nationwide fan vote on NASCAR.com.

Stewart may join one of his former rivals and one of this year’s new inductees, four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon, who was chosen for the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Also newly added to the esteemed list released Wednesday is Bonnett, a popular member of the “Alabama Gang,” engine builder, crew chief and car owner Ray Fox, former Daytona 500 winner Marvin Panch, NASCAR Xfinity Series pioneer and two-time champion Sam Ard, short track master Jim Paschal and the sport’s first “master mechanic,” Red Vogt. A nominating committee representing NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners and the media selected the new slate of names.

There are three new nominees for the prestigious Landmark Award as well, including Edsel Ford II, Mike Helton and Dr. Joe Mattioli, who join returning nominees Alvin Hawkins and Ralph Seagraves. This award honors competitors; “those working in the sport as a member of a racing organization, track facility, race team, sponsor, media partner;” or someone considered “a general ambassador for the sport through a professional or non-professional role.’’

Here is the full list of nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame (listed alphabetically):

Sam Ard, NASCAR Xfinity Series pioneer and two-time champion;

Buddy Baker, won 19 times in the NASCAR Cup Series, including the Daytona 500 and Southern 500;

Neil Bonnett, won 18 times in the NASCAR Cup Series, including consecutive Coca-Cola 600 wins;

John Holman, won two NASCAR Cup Series championships as co-owner of Holman-Moody Racing;

Harry Hyde, 1970 NASCAR Cup Series championship crew chief;

Bobby Labonte, won a championship in both the Cup Series and XFINITY Series;

Hershel McGriff, 1986 NASCAR west series champion;

Ralph Moody, won two NASCAR Cup Series championships as co-owner of Holman-Moody Racing;

Marvin Panch, won 17 times in the NASCAR Cup Series, including the 1961 Daytona 500; after he won the race, he used his winnings to buy a piece of property in Port Orange and settled there for the rest of his life with his family;

Jim Paschal, 23 of his 25 NASCAR Cup Series wins came on short tracks;

Larry Phillips, only five-time NASCAR weekly series national champion;

Ricky Rudd, won 23 times in NASCAR Cup Series, including the 1997 Brickyard 400;